Knitting-machine.



1. KEETON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILEDJAILQ. |915.

1,1 54,25 l Patentedsept. 21,l 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

@FETCE JAMES KEETON,OE SIDNEY, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR To JULIUs KAYsER a co., OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

KN1TTINGMACHINE Specivcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915. l

Application filed January 9, 1915. Serial N o. 1,303.

` tised.

In knitting the warp bea/ms., usually two, but sometimes more, are rotated by the pull of the yarns or threadsas they are taken up b the needles and the warp beams are held bac from too free rotation by rope or other friction devices provided with weights, springs, or the like, to give them the requisite tension. In knitting the length of thread on each beam varies according to the kind of fabric being made or the method of knitting. Sometimes the length of threads upon the two beams is equal. It is then said to be one to one.

Sometimes one beam has only two thirds the length of yarn or thread that the other one has. It is then said to be two to three. Similarly, it may be three to two, or other proportions may be employed and if, for eX- ample, one has three thousand yards upon it and the other two thousand yards, the knitting must be conducted in such way that both beams will be empty or substantially so at the same time in order to prevent waste and secure the required quality of the cloth and to attain this uniformity in the opera. tion, in other words, the stated ratio of rotation of the-beams, it is necessary that the operator watch them and the speed at which they deliver the yarns or threads with great care, for it will often happen that one will gain or lose relative to the otherand if so, the operator must promptly increase or diminish the amount of friction upon the rope or otherbrake in order to accelerate or retard the rotation of the beams. IThis continuous and watchful observation by the operator is an extremely tiring one and difiicult of accomplishment notwithstanding the fact that various expedients have been resorted toas aids in the matter.

- It is the purpose of this invention, therefore, to interpose between the warp beams and the needles the mechanical devices about to be described, with which the yarns or threads engage in such manner that their dellvery to the needles is automatically and mechanically regulated with eXactness.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sfide elevation, partly in section, of the part of a knitting machine in which the' warp` beams (two in number) and coacting parts are located Fig. -2 is an elevation of that which is shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a side elevation, reduced in size, relative to the other figures, 'of a. construction in which three warp beams are employed.

In the'drawings, 1 ,represents one of the side supports for the warp beams and associated parts. There'is another similar sup port at the other side of the machine. They sustain the requisite number of substantially horizontal bars 2, which support the warp beams and the regulating devices, which form the subject matter of this invention, also the guiding and tension devices, as will be described. These supporting bars 2 are each provided with a slot 3 and set nuts 4, so that they may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly to regulate the angle at which the yarns or threads shall come to the needles.

5, 5, are the warp beams or reels upon which the yarn 6 is wound. 1

"I, 7, are the brake or friction devices, ropes in this case, which are provided at their ends with weights 8, 8, to apply the necessary tension.

9, 9, are take-ups, which extend across the' machine. They are supported at both of their ends in a slot 10, or similar'conning and guiding devices preferably made in or upon an upright 11, which forms part of the bars 2. The take-ups are provided at each of their ends withsprings l2, 12, which cause them to suitably take up the slack in the yarns or threads occasioned by the movemore immediately involved in this invention,

'bearings at both ends.

if each has the same number of teeth, then the ratio will be one to one, if one has one third more teeth than the other, then the ratio will be two to 3, and so on. Each of these wheels is adapted to be removably keyed or fastened to a shaft 18, which, after passing through the bearing 1l, extends across the machine to another suitable bearing at the opposite side and it is provided at any suitable place with a pinion 19 and also supports a drum or roller 20. The pinion 19 meshes into a similar pinion 21 having the same size and number of teeth which is keyed upon a shaft 22 upon which is another drum or roller 23 of the same size as the roller 20. All these rollers are,'as above suggested, supported by suitable journals or Obviously suitable gearing or equivalent mechanical appliances may be substituted for the sprocket wheels and chain.

The operation is as follows: The yarns or threads are in the irst instance wound upon the `warp beams 5, 5, as usual and their delivery from the warp beams under tension is regulated in any preferred manner, as, for example, by the weights 8 and friction brakes 7. They are preferably led from the warp beams as illustrated in Fig. 1, under the lowermost roller Q3,about its forward arc and thence around the roller 20, thence under the take-up 9, over the guide roller 13 and thence to the needles. They may, however, first pass over the roller 2 0, then under the roller 2.3 and then under the take-up, over the' guide roller and so to the needles. Now it is obvious that inasmuch as the two pairs or' rollers 20, 20, and 23, 23, are revolved solely by the frictional contact of the multitude of yarns or threads upon them and since the upper set of rollers engages with the small sprocketvheel, that it will dominate the speed at which the yarns or threads will be delivered from the lower warp beams and thatthe relative amount of yarns orV threads so delivered will be controlled with mathematical exactness by the relative proportion of the sprocket wheels, or their equivalent. If the desired supply of yarns orV threads is to be as two to three, then the sprocket wheels and the sprocket chain will be made of that relation to each other. Similarly other wheels and chains, which bea-r any other desired relation to each other, being provided and adapted to ready attachment to and detachment from the ends of the shafts,lwhich support the rollers 20 of each pair, the inevitable result will be exact mathematical regulation of the `amount of yarns or threads delivered to the needles according'to the relation or Aratio of the wheels to each other.

In Fig. 3 I show a construction in which there are three warp beams and three sets of regulating devices adapted to deliver to the needles threads or yarns of diifering material or quality or size. In this particular case the upper and lower regulating devices are of the same size, the intermediate one being larger. Any desired lvariation or ratio may be employed.

. It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that the details of construction illustrated and described by me are immaterial because they may be extensively altered and yet the essence of the invention be retained. 1 therefore do not limit myself to such details.

1 claim: l. In a knitting machine having a plulrality of warp beams, devices to retard the rotation'of the beams, regulating devices interposed between the warp beams and the needles with which the threads or yarns engage and by which they are rotated, means connecting the regulating devices of the beams together, whereby the amounts of threads or yarns delivered from the respective warp beams are predetermined and means to determine the angle at which the Ithreads approach the needles.

2. In a knitting machine having a plurality of warp beams, devices to retard the rotation of the beams, regulating devices interposed between the warp beams and the needles with which the threads or yarns engage and by which they are rotated, means connecting the regulating devices of the several beams together, whereby the relative amounts of threads or yarns delivered from the respective warp beams are predetermined and supports for the regulating devices adapted to horizontal adjustment for- Wardly and rearwardly, whereby the relative amounts of threads or yarns delivered from the respective warp beams are predetermined and the angle at which the threads or yarns approach the needles regulated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES KEETON.

Witnesses:

FRED S. GALE, HARIgY O. DICKINsoN.

relative. 

